title: Buprenorphine treatment in an urban community health center: what to expect.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Despite new opportunities to expand buprenorphine treatment for opioid dependence, use of this treatment modality has been limited. Physicians may question their ability to successfully treat opioid-dependent patients with buprenorphine in a primary care setting. We describe a buprenorphine treatment program and treatment outcomes in an urban community health center.
  
  
  METHODS
  We conducted retrospective chart reviews on the first 41 opioid-dependent patients treated with buprenorphine/naloxone. The primary outcome was 90-day retention in treatment.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Patients' mean age was 46 years, 70.7% were male, 58.8% Hispanic, 31.7% black, 57.5% unemployed, and 70.0% used heroin prior to treatment. Twenty-nine (70.7%) patients were retained in treatment at day 90. Compared to those not retained, patients retained in treatment were more likely to have used street methadone (0% versus 37.9%) and less likely to have used opioid analgesics (54.6% versus 20.7%) and alcohol (50.0% versus 13.8%) prior to treatment. Of the 25 patients with urine toxicology tests, 24% tested positive for opioids.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Buprenorphine treatment for opioid dependence in an urban community health center resulted in a 90-day retention rate of 70.7%. Type of substance use prior to treatment appeared to be associated with retention. These findings can help guide program development.
authors.affiliation: Montefiore Medical Center/Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY 10467, USA ccunning@montefiore.org
authors.forename: Chinazo
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Cunningham
authors.forename: Angela
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Giovanniello
authors.forename: Galit
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Sacajiu
authors.forename: Susan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Whitley
authors.forename: Pamela
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Mund
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Beil
authors.forename: Nancy
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Sohler
mesh_terms: D002047:Buprenorphine / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003153:Community Health Services / Q000458:organization & administration*; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009270:Naloxone / Q000627:therapeutic use; D009292:Narcotic Antagonists / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D009293:Opioid-Related Disorders / Q000188:drug therapy*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000188:drug therapy; D019037:Urban Health Services / Q000458:organization & administration*
chemical_list: D009292:Narcotic Antagonists; D009270:Naloxone; D002047:Buprenorphine